Top Milliman blog posts in 2014
Milliman consultants had another prolific publishing year in 2014, with blog topics ranging from healthcare reform to HATFA. As 2014 comes to a close, we’ve highlighted Milliman’s top 20 blogs for 2014 based on total page views.
20. Mike Williams and Stephanie Noonan’s blog, "Four things employers should know when evaluating private health exchanges," can help employers determine whether a PHE makes sense for them.
19. Kevin Skow discusses savings tools that can help employees prepare for retirement in his blog "Retirement readiness: How long will you live in retirement? Want to bet on it?"
18. The Benefits Alert entitled "Revised mortality assumptions issued for pension plans," published by Milliman’s Employee Benefit Research Group, provides pension plan sponsors actuarial perspective on the Society of Actuaries’ revised mortality tables.
17. In her blog, "PBGC variable rate premium: Should plans make the switch?," Milliman’s Maria Moliterno provides examples of how consultants can estimate variable rate premiums using either the standard premium funding target or the alternative premium funding target for 2014 and 2015 plan years.
16. Milliman’s infographic "The boomerang generation’s retirement planning" features 12 tips Millennials should consider when developing their retirement strategy.
15. "Young uninsureds ask, ‘Do I feel lucky?’" examines the dilemma young consumers face when deciding to purchase insurance on the health exchange or go uninsured.
14. Last year’s #1 blog, "Retiring early under ACA: An unexpected outcome for employers?," is still going strong. The blog authored by Jeff Bradley discusses the impact that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act could have on early retirees.
13. Genny Sedgwick’s "Fee leveling in DC plans: Disclosure is just the beginning" blog also made our list for the second consecutive year. Genny explains how different fee assessment methodologies, when used with a strategy to normalize revenue sharing among participant accounts, can significantly modify the impact of plan fees in participant accounts.
12. Doug Conkel discusses how the Supreme Court’s decision to rule on Tibble vs. Edison may impact defined contribution plans in his blog "Tibble vs. Edison: What will it mean for plan sponsors and fiduciaries?"
11. In her blog "Retirement plan leakage and retirement readiness," Kara Tedesco discusses some problems created by the outflow of retirement savings. She also provides perspective on how employers can help employees keep money in their plans.
10. Consultant David Benbow discusses how an actuarial increase can enhance a participant’s pension payout over a shorter period of time in his blog "Actuarial increases: No good deed goes unpunished."
9. Milliman’s ACA premium rate reading list remains in the top 10 this year. The reading list provides perspective on how the ACA affects healthcare premiums.
8. "Rewriting retirement readiness: Will the USA Retirement Funds Act amend your plan?" offers employers perspective on how the bill may impact the current retirement system.
7. Charles Clark highlights some tax issues that pension participants should consider regarding lump-sum distributions in his blog "Lump-sum payouts and tax implications."
6. In his blog "PBGC variable premiums: Standard vs. alternative premium funding target," Mike Peatrowsky talks about the two options pension plan sponsors have when calculating unfunded vested benefits.
5. How can standard actuarial methods be used establish premiums for fantasy football insurance? Leighton Hunley offers some perspective in his blog "Fantasy football insurance: An actuarial perspective."
4. "Auto enrollment errors are expensive" highlights an article by consultant Kari Jakobe on administration errors related to auto enrollment.
3. "Why not make that pension plan lump-sum window permanent?" Jeff Kamenir answers this question with two reasons why sponsors should consider keeping their lump-sum windows constant.
2. In her blog, "HATFA-14 and discount rates: The latest in "pension smoothing" provisions," Lynn Yu discusses how the revised interest rate corridors may provide relief for plan sponsors.
1. The Benefit Alert entitled "HATFA requires immediate action on 2013 defined benefit plan valuations," published by the Employee Benefit Research Group, provides pension plan sponsors considerations on how to proceed with short- and long-term pension funding options.